Curtain-fixture.



BATENTED SEPT. 29,-1903.

' No. 739,889. a v

' J. A. LYONS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE APPLICATION FILED mm: 12, 1902.

no MODEL.

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UNITE STAT S Patented'September 29, 15 6?.

PATENT OFFICE.

cu RTAIN- FIXTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 739,889, datedSeptember 29, 1903.

Application filed Juue12,1902. Serial No. 111,234. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. LYONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fountain City, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Curtain-Fixtures, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

Myinvention relates to curtain-fixtures,and particularly to thatclass ofwindow-curtain fixtures in which provision is made for the verticaladjustment of a horizontal springroller upon which the curtain or shadeis rolled, the object being to secure light and ventilation from abovethe curtain when desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fixtureembodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the constructionshown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of one end of theyoke which supports the curtain-roller, Fig.

6 being a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional elevations of the pulleys over which passthe cords by which the curtain-roller and yoke are suspended. Fig. 9illustrates a sheet-metal blank from which the brackets for the yoke aremade.

Referring to said drawings, 1 is the window- 2 is the curtain-roller. 3is a yokebar. 4 4 are brackets applied to the ends of the yoke-bar andhaving bearings for supporting the shade-roller in the usual manner,

said brackets and yoke-bar together forming a yoke. 5 and 6 arecordsextending from the yoke-bar, the cord 6 passing over the pulley 7and thence over the pulley 8 and the cord 5 passing over the pulley 8.Said two cords are joined at 9, and from 9 a cord 10 passes downwardalong the window-casing and is adjustably secured in a suitablefastening device 11. From this description it will be un-' 'derstoodthat by drawing said cord 10 downward the cords 5 and 6 will be drawnupward and that the upward movement of the cords 5 and 6 involves theupward movement of the yoke-bar 3 and the roller 2. The cords 5, 6,

and 10 may be of any suitable form, and, in place of what isusuallytermed cord, braid, wire, or chain may be used. -The fasteningdevice 11 maybe of any suitable form adapted to engage the cord 10 atsuch points as may which it should go.

comes the pulley 7.

sleeve 4, and upright 4.

be desired. It may be secured to the win (low-frame in any suitablemanner. The form shown is a tube, (preferably flaring at each end,)through which the cord passes. The lower portion of said tube isprovided with a V-shaped notch, into which the cord 10 may be drawn. Tofacilitate the engagement in said notch, the cord 10 may be providedwith knots 10.

The pulley 8 may be of any desired form. The'drawings show said pulleyseated in a housing composed of the base 8 and the upper and lower websS", a lateral web 8, and front wall 8. The purpose of the lateral web 8is to limit the downward movement of the curtain when the cord 10becomes accidentally released or when the person operating the curtaininadvertently allows the cord 10 to move upward farther than is requiredto lower the curtain to the lowest point to It will be observed that thecords 5 and 6 pass on opposite sides of 7 said web. Hence they cannotdescend farther 7 5 when the point of junction has been brought againstsaid web. The upper and lower portions of the pulley-housing aresymmetrical. This construction permits the use of the same housing. ateither upper corner of the window. By inverting the pulley 8 it be- Bymaking the housings in this form the cord -10 may be located at eitherside of the window. If said cord were to be placed at the right-handside of the window, the cords 5 and 6 would exchange places with eachother. p j

Obviously, so far as other portions of my improvements are concerned;anysuitable eyes or staples might be substituted for the I pulleysillustrated by the drawings.

The bracket 4 is composed'of the foot 4*,

The sleeve 4 surrounds the end of the yoke-bar 3, and the foot extendsvertically downward and has 5 its lower end bent slightly forward. Theupright 4 extends outward across the adjacent end of the roller 2 andforms a bearing for said roller. A wire is folded upon itself,

as shown in Fig. 6, to form the eye 4 and the guard 4 A portion of saideye and said guard lies within the sleeve 4 above the upper edge of theyoke-bar 3 This construction is used as a convenient. method ofprovidingan eye at the end of the yoke and a guard in frontof said sleeve, saideye being for the passage of the cord 10 or the cord 12 and said guardbeing for the passage of the cord 5 or 6. The sleeve t" binds said Wireimmovably. The cords 5 and 6 may be attached to the yoke-bar in anysuitable manner. For the purpose of rendering said yoke and roller morestable I prefer to attach the cord 5 to the upright 4 near the bearingof the curtain-roller in order that when the curtain is being drawndownward by turning said roller there will be little tendency to tiltthe yoke and roller. In the drawings I show said attachment formed inthe aperture f. The guard 4 is a further means for preventing thebackward tilting of the yoke. To prevent wear by contact with the guard,the portion of the cord from the upright 4 through the guard may bewire. In the drawings, 10" is such a wire. This has at one end a hookextending through the aperture 4 and at the other end an eye 10 for theattachment of the main portion of the cord. Said wire is preferably bentadjacent to said eye sufficient to bring the wire forming said eye intoa plane to which the cord is perpendicular in order that the mainportion of the cord may be extended from above through said eye andknotted beneath the latter. When made in this form, the entire knotforms a bearing against the wire surrounding said eye and during theoperation of the fixture there is but slight, if any, friction ormovement of said knot upon the wire surrounding the eye. Hence there isbut slight'tendency to wear or cut the fiber of the cord. I have foundthis construction much more durable than a construction involving theresting of the body of the cord across the wire. If the eye 10 weretransverse to the direction of the cord, the engagement between the mainportion of the cord and the wire of the eye would be at only one side ofthe cord and would, as I have learned by tests, be readily out.

The sole function of the cord 12 is to serve as a stay for the yoke androller. At its lower end said cord may be secured by a fastening device11, preferably a duplicate of the fastening device at the opposite sideof the window. At its upper end it may be fastened in any suitablemanner. The drawings show a wire arm 13, having an eye 13 at one end anda hook 13 at the other end of proper form to extend around the web 8 ofthe pulley-housing, whereby said arm is held firmly in the horizontalposition, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. When said arm is made in this form,it is adapted to be applied to either pulley, according to whether thecord is placed at the right-hand or at the left-hand side of the window.Obviously said arm may be made of sheet metal.

It will be observed that all of the devices entering into the structureas described may be manufactured at small cost. The shaderollermay be ofthe ordinary form; the yokebar is an ordinary stick of wood; thebrackets 4 are made up from stamped sheet-metal blanks; the eye 4 andthe guard Pare formed from a single piece of wire; the arm 13 is formedfrom a single piece of wire; the pulleys, while answering everyrequirement, are very simple, and ordinary curtain-cord will answer forthe cords 5, o, 10, and 12.

The apparatus would be operative without the eyes 4 and guards 4 but bytheir use greater stability may be attained.

It will be observed that lateral movement of the roller and yoke may beprevented by connection with only the cord 10 and the omission of thecord 12; but in that case winds might blow the opposite end of theroller and yoke forward away from the window.

The nature of the blank, as illustrated by Fig. 9, will bereadilyunderstood. The main rectangular portion marked 4 constitutes thesleeve 43 when folded upon the dotted lines a ct a. The part 4constitutes the foot, and the part 4 constitutes the nprightafter it hasbeen bent into the upright position upon the dotted line b. Theapertures 14- and 14" receive the bu ffer-cord, as described in the nextfollowing paragraph. The part t may be bent in either direction withreference to the plane of the blank. Bending itin one direction willform a right-hand bracket, and bonding it in the opposite direction willform a left-hand bracket.

A buffer-cord 14 may be applied to each bracket 4 for the purpose ofpreventing noise and scratching during the movement of the yoke. Saidcord is so placed as to bear against the window-frame and prevent themetallic bracketfrom touchingsaidframe. Thedrawings show a hole 14through the foot 4 just below the sleeve of the bracket. Said cordextends from the rear through said opening and then upward and rearwardaround the sleeve and down behind the foot and then forward through theaperture 14". Each end of the cord maybe knotted to preventit frompassing through the adjacent aperture.

The apertures 4 14, and 14" may be stamped in the forming of the blankshown by Fig. 9, and the cord is a simple and economical material toconstitute such buffer, and the application of said cord is a simpleoperation.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a curtainfixture, the combination withthe yoke bar, brackets, and curtainroller, of cords, 5, 6, and 10,guides for said cords at the upper portion of the window and a guide forthe cord, 10, on the end of the yoke, a suitable device for fasteningsaid cord, 10,.a guide-cord, 12, and a guide for said cord at theadjacent end of the yoke, substantially as described.

2. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with the yoke-bar, brackets,and roller, of cords, 5, 6, and 10, and two pulleys, one of which has ahousing composed of a base, 8, and the upper and lower webs, 8", and alateral web, 8, and front wall, 8 said lateral web being located betweensaid cords, 5 and 6.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with the curtain-roller, yokehaving cordguides at its ends, cords, 5, 6, and 10, and pulleys, 7 and8, of an arm, 13, applied to the housing of one of said pulleys, a cord,12,

and a fastening device for the lower end of.

of'a wire folded to form the guard, 4, and secured within the sleeve ofsaid bracket, substantially as described.

7. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with the yoke-bar, 3 andsleeved bracket, 4, of a wire folded to form an eye and the guard, 4and' secured within the sleeve of said bracket, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a yoke-bar, means forshiftably suspending said yoke-bar, brackets, 4, applied to saidyoke-bar, and bufier-cords, 14, applied to said brackets, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of twowitnesses, this 10th day ofJune, in the year'1902.

JAMES A LYONS.

Witnesses:

CYRUS KEHR, CARRIE R. IVY.

